Why do so many Army guys have their knickers in a twist over my column?

A twitter commentator notes that last week’s column "succeeded in jumbling many-an-infantryman’s panties." I feel bad about that, twisted knickers being a discomfort I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. But let’s take stock of the infantrymen’s complaints: 1) Rosa Brooks has never been in combat! Guilty as charged. As a nosy human rights and journalist ...

A twitter commentatornotes that last week’s column "succeeded in jumbling many-an-infantryman’s panties." I feel bad about that, twisted knickers being a discomfort I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. But let’s take stock of the infantrymen’s complaints:

1) Rosa Brooks has never been in combat! Guilty as charged. As a nosy human rights and journalist type, I have occasionally had the very unpleasant experience of getting shot at. I scurried away as fast as I could.

2) Because she’s never been in combat, she’s not qualified to say anything about what qualities the military will need! Come on, guys. Give me a little credit. Contrary to popular belief, most of us columnists don’t just make stuff up. We do research — which means, among other things, that when we lack personal experience with something, we talk to lots of people who’ve had more experience. My statements about combat and modern warfare are informed by the many conversations I’ve had about these issues with friends in uniform.

3) But physical strength is vital in the infantry … and the infantry is the heart of the military. Okay, let’s stipulate that physical strength is vital in the infantry. But though the infantry may be the historical heart of the military, that’s not where most military personnel find their homes. Even in the Army, only about fifteen percent of soldiers are in the infantry. So if we’re talking about what we should look for in recruiting infantrymen, perhaps physical strength should be an important criterion — but since most military recruits will not be infantrymen, will not have any combat MOS and will never see combat, why should a quality that’s important for infantrymen be considered equally important for the overwhelming majority of recruits who are heading into a non-combat MOS?

Even if physical strength is vital in combat, it’s becoming a necessary but not sufficient quality for an infantryman. The infantry has been asked to do more in recent years than just "close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver." We have increasingly asked infantry troops to conduct key leader engagements with people whose cultures are vastly different than ours, or bring essential services to people who lack them, and so on. All this puts a premium on brains rather than brawn. As David Petraeus puts it, "The most powerful tool any soldier carries is not his weapon but his mind. These days, and for the days ahead as far as we can see, what soldiers at all ranks know is liable to be at least as important to their success as what they can physically do."

4) You’re saying that physical fitness is irrelevant for most military personnel! No, I’m saying that sheer strength is no longer as vital as it used to be … And that technical skills, maturity and judgment are more vital than they used to be. It’s a matter of relative importance, not of absolute importance. Ideally, we would recruit people who possess physical strength and endurance and critical skills and good judgment. It’s a balance, and the optimal balance will vary by branch and MOS. But we may be more likely to find that optimal balance if we recruit more aggressively among women and men who are over 24.

5) You’re saying that all young men are immature! Well … Kinda! No, just kidding. Some are. Some aren’t. Statistically, though, the 18-24-year-old male demographic is just not a hotbed of maturity. Sorry.

6) You want to recruit at the AARP! I really was kidding about that. Cross my heart. Though I’ve seen a few old ladies who are demons with their walkers, my proposal is more modest. I propose that if we want to find the optimal mix of fitness, skill and judgment, we should not focus primarily on young men. (And for the record, my extremely awesome husband, who commands an infantry battalion and recently attained the positively antique age of 45, regularly puts his junior soldiers to shame during PT. Also for the record, he bears no responsibility for any dumb stuff I say.)

7) You want to exclude young men from the military! No. Our military should welcome 18-24 year olds — assuming they’re emotionally mature enough not to cause more problems than they help solve. But we should also increase efforts to recruit women and older Americans — assuming that they too can satisfy minimum fitness requirements — and explore ways to reform the military personnel system, so the military can attract and retain a wider range of people with a wider range of skills and attributes.